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Wings Over Scotland


28 Vows Later

Posted on February 03, 2015 by

We pondered long and hard over how best to analyse Scottish Labour’s bewildering, oh-my-God-they’re-really-calling-it-that “Vow Plus” fiasco from yesterday, readers.

vowplus

We contemplated noting the absurdity of Gordon Brown being its frontman when he’s not standing in May and won’t be in Parliament to deliver it. We considered a forensic deconstruction showing how it’s just the same old reheated, uncosted rubbish they’ve been waffling around for the past years.

(“Give Holyrood control of housing benefit, separating it out from the rest of the UK’s Universal Credit by mumble mumble! Increase pensions using the extra cash freed up by mumble mumble! Devolve workfare, which somehow magically ‘creates jobs’ by mumble mumble! Pretend we just said ‘1000 nurses’ all along, not the demented ‘1000 more than anything the SNP say’!”)

We thought about pointing out all the comical flapping the party’s done around its devolution proposals, presenting the weary and confused Scottish people with feeble, grudging, underwhelming plan after feeble, grudging, underwhelming plan – at least five different ones since 2009 – and resentfully upping the offer by the bare minimum they think they can get away with every time.

And we wondered if it was worth drawing attention to the fact that the latest effort is actually basically the Strathclyde Commission blueprint from the Conservatives with a red sticker hastily slapped on it.

But in the end, the truth is a lot simpler than that.

“Vow Plus” is designed to persuade people into voting Labour, but it’s a singularly useless device for achieving that aim, for one blindingly obvious reason:

Whatever Labour are prepared to offer now, it stands to reason that they’d also be prepared to concede the same, at a minimum, in return for SNP backing at Westminster if they needed it.

Think about it. Instead of voting Labour, people could vote SNP and get all the same things and more. Labour could hardly turn around in negotiations and say “Look, we’re taking our own proposals off the table”, but a large block of SNP MPs could demand others, or rule out those they thought would be to Scotland’s detriment.

For the large percentage of the electorate that wants more powers for Holyrood, an SNP vote is a no-lose vote. If they’re dependent on SNP support, Labour’s manifesto is basically a starting position. If Labour get a Commons majority by themselves, they can backtrack on as much of it as they like.

We already know that an SNP vote can’t let the Tories in. So absolutely nothing’s changed about the position as it stood before “Vow Plus”. Scots can still either help Labour win in the UK – at which point Labour can safely ignore Scotland in order not to outrage the English – or they can elect a large block of non-Labour MPs who can effectively hold Westminster to ransom and defend Scottish interests.

The details of “Vow Plus” are a complete red herring. Whatever’s in it can be delivered whether Scots votes Labour or SNP, and the latter guarantees it much more surely than the former. Scotland simply doesn’t need Labour MPs. It can either put its trust in Ed Miliband, or it can give itself some insurance.

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  1. 03 02 15 02:40

    28 Vows Later - Speymouth
    Ignored

  2. 03 02 15 12:53

    28 Vows Later | Politics Scotland | Scoop.it
    Ignored

  3. 12 04 15 12:48

    Inverclyde Debate, 8th April: Opening Statements | A Wilderness of Peace
    Ignored

255 to “28 Vows Later”

  1. Cadogan Enright
    Ignored
    says:

    I thought the BBC’s political editors analysis of Vow+ on their website was a new low for the BBC in factual coverage and analysis. Puzzling, as I thought we were already bumping along the bottom – but I was wrong.

  2. a2
    Ignored
    says:

    Light bulb moment, but can you get the f’n message across without the msm?

  3. a2
    Ignored
    says:

    Of course the other tricky thing is those pesky No voters don’t want any new powers in the first place so well who is this really going to convince, it may well put the dihard unionists off voting lab,

    It’s all padding out rather nicely I think. 🙂

  4. David
    Ignored
    says:

    Really wicked trolling of England and rUK by Gordon Brown, the Midnight Vowboy. They all seem to be huffing and puffing like this guy:

    “Hard-pressed families in my constituency should not be paying taxes to subsidise higher levels of public spending in Scotland”
    Peter Bone MP for Wellingborough, Northamptonshire.

    Yes, the ‘subsidy jockie’ lie gets another airing. Never a mention that we pay in more than we get out of Westminster.

  5. a2
    Ignored
    says:

    There’s supposed to be a comma after “well” (just in case)

  6. Calum McLean
    Ignored
    says:

    Labour’s one trick pony in the form of Gordon Brown already played THE VOW card once. It was proven impotent. Who will believe the feckless failure a second time? A busted flush. Time to put the old nag and his one card trick out to retirement. Better still the knackered yard

  7. Davy
    Ignored
    says:

    I watched this mockery on the news tonight and I wondered to myself how can Saint Brown & Saint Murphy actually think no-one would notice it was just a few weeks back they were shouting the “VOW” had been delivered, all the tory parties, red, yellow & blue were so-called screaming about how great it was for Scotland.

    What is next, (VOW the return – part three), (Home Rule with attitude), (DEVO the nearly MAX), (MAD MAX INDY light). Their is na-dout the red tories are shitting their breeks and the stink will be running round the bbc and the rest of the MSM as they try to spin the positive oot of that pile of crap.

  8. Valerie
    Ignored
    says:

    David @ 12.58 loving the Midnight Vowboy, very appropriate!

    Everybodys talking at me….

  9. Valerie
    Ignored
    says:

    @Davy – we are on a movie theme here – Mad Max Indy Thunderdome, and appropriately enough, its got that Scottish great, WillMel Wallace

  10. Cadogan Enright
    Ignored
    says:

    This is going to play very badly for Labour in England, surely they could have thought of some anti-SNP wheeze that would not blow-back on them South of the boarder? The Smurph and Crash Gordon may be putting the final nails in the coffin for hopes of a minority Milliband government. Best thing for them to do is hide for the next 12 weeks?

  11. dennis mclaughlin
    Ignored
    says:

    That’s it then?…
    We can all go and have a nice wee lie doon.
    Broon’s Vow+ to save the Union and Scotland.
    Might as well get into your bunker Labour,’cause there’s no way back from this fiasco.
    How is auntie EBC going to portray this oncoming car crash scenario in May?.

  12. Hoss Mackintosh
    Ignored
    says:

    When do you think SLAB will be offering full independence – Vow super plus mega plus plus.

    5th of May?

    This is going to be fun.

  13. Chic McGregor
    Ignored
    says:

    New Movie.

    “The Life of Brown”

    Gordon:”I am Spartacus!”

    Chorus:”No you’re not, you’re a very naughty boy!”

  14. Chic McGregor
    Ignored
    says:

    Paraphrasing someone or other.

    Wad some power the Giftie gie us
    Tae see oor shills as ithers plee us?

  15. David
    Ignored
    says:

    To Valerie and everyone else, if you want a good laugh it’s well worth going on Twitter and searching for these two hashtag topics:

    #VowMovieTitles
    #newVows

    The first one especially just exploded in popularity tonight, with people ripping the pi$h out of Labour’s ‘Vow’ strategy.

    I only hope that the mocking of Labour lies spreads to those who don’t use computers, ensuring that their vote share goes down in May. I want to see a large enough swing to SNP that Douglas Alexander gets kicked out of Paisley South.

  16. Hoss Mackintosh
    Ignored
    says:

    @Cardogan

    I think the BBC will stoop a lot lower in the coming months. They have nothing to lose as all pretence as an impartial commentator has been thrown away.

    I wish the SNP would just boycott the BBC altogether and just appear on STV as much as possible.

    The BBC would find it difficult to hold the Scottish Government to account if they did not turn up for any interviews.

    Ironically, BBC London gives the SNP a marginally fairer coverage.

    Complete contempt for PQ – March demo still on?

  17. Chic McGregor
    Ignored
    says:

    Thanks for that David, very witty stuff.
    Will tweet my poor effort.

  18. Cadogan Enright
    Ignored
    says:

    @david – weeping with laughter – if nothing else we will have more fun in this election https://twitter.com/hashtag/VowMovieTitles?src=hash

  19. Grouse Beater
    Ignored
    says:

    Instead of voting Labour, people could vote SNP and get all the same things and more.

    But will voters know it?

    After all, they have drummed into them day in, day out, exactly the opposite. A vote for the SNP is a dangerous vote and will harm Scotland, England, and the Isle of Man.

  20. allen ralston
    Ignored
    says:

    jon voight midnight cowboy ,gordon brown midnight vow boy not sure which one prostituted themselves the most

  21. Noel Darlow
    Ignored
    says:

    We started out with a clear YES/NO referendum and with the power to decide our fate in our own hands. Somehow we ended up, post-Vow, with hands full only of vague promises watching passively as our future is decided in negotiations behind closed doors and ultimately by the Westminster parliament.

    That is an astonishing subversion of democracy. I mean, can you imagine what would have happened if NO had been polling comfortably and Alex Salmond had tried to change the terms of the referendum at the 11th hour so that YES would now mean devo max not independence? He’d have been hung, drawn and quartered.

    You’d think the perps would have the good grace to be ashamed of themselves. You’d hope they’d gaze at gaunt, guilty faces in the mirror each morning and experience bone-chilling spasms of disgrace and self-loathing.

    But no. They seem to think it was a wonderful idea. A cunning plan good enough to wheel out a second time in the general election.

    The big problem with that is that nobody really wants the limited set of powers being offered.

    YES voters don’t, obviously. They want all the powers. Maybe some could be talked into genuine devo max.

    Many (most?) NO voters would have liked to continue with the status quo and didn’t want any extra powers at all. You can also put all the Westminster parties in this category. None of them believed in more devolution; they just felt compelled to offer it.

    That leaves NO voters who were persuaded by The Vow. Since it was presented as something akin to devo max, it’s probably fair to say that many of them feel conned now. What they were led to believe they were voting for is not what will be offered.

    So nobody wants it – not even labour – and yet here we are again. Give the natives some more beads and mirrors and keep them happy. That’s not a carefully thought-out, long-term, constitutional solution. It’s just more bad government for Scotland – and the UK – designed to shut us up and keep voting labour.

    Is anybody really going to fall for that?

  22. clochoderic
    Ignored
    says:

    Acrockashits Vow

  23. RandomSwitch
    Ignored
    says:

    The Labour train wreck has hit its buffers.
    The reconstruction of the Bitter Together/ProJECT Fear Team behind Jim’ll Fix Murphy has nothing left to say but retreads of all negative campaign – and lie after lie.

    It’s Sumo Yori Kiri – a full frontal push out of the SNP; out of the headlines, gratis MSM as Jim hogs unbelievable headlines of undeliverable false promises, a push out of debate by sheer tribal assertion that anything but a Labour vote will result in a Tory landslide; a pushing out and torrent of vindictive and vituperative personal attacks on SNP in Holyrood.
    They seek to unbalance and skew the public, the electorate – but now only have blunted retreads of the referendum arguments, assertions and lies.
    Every one exposed as a sham.
    Simply pointing out their fallaciousness is the best way I believe for SLAB to overbalance its self and commit public Hari Kiri.

  24. Chic McGregor
    Ignored
    says:

    “A Vow Too Far”
    “I Know What You Vowed Last Summer”
    “Vowfart”

  25. Tattie-bogle
    Ignored
    says:

    They should do what they do best and abstain

  26. David
    Ignored
    says:

    Chic, thanks. The thing is that I may have been the first to think of that title, but at least 2 other people have since also thought of it! For me, that highlights a major strength of the movement for a better Scotland, that we have strength in numbers now, and we can back each other up.

    Now we need these numbers to take a break from totally owning the interweb, and get out on the streets and repeat the Indyref task of simply talking to people. We must show the undecideds the truths that they are not getting from the BBC or from the newspapers.

    Personally, I hope the Rev Stu can be persuaded to write a ‘Wee Blue Westminster Book’, with perhaps one page for each constituency, detailing the faults of the unionist candidates, their voting records, expenses claimed, attendance %-ages, etc. Food for thought for the undecideds.

  27. Andy White
    Ignored
    says:

    I think we can safely say Labour’s woeful Bedroom Tax phishing site is looking a bit sorry at the moment- if that provides a brief moment of mirthful respite.

  28. stuckinoz
    Ignored
    says:

    Is it possible that labour know they’re screwed in Scotland and are sabotaging their own campaign in England so the Tories get in, with a large number of SNP MP’s in Scotland. Meaning they can go to the electorate with ‘evidence’ that voting in large numbers for the SNP ‘let the Tories in’??

    Playing the long game to fabricate nonsense against the SNP and ‘win back’ Scotland as the party to beat the Tories

    Maybe I credit them with too much intelligence

  29. Andy White
    Ignored
    says:

    The 2 issues are:

    1) BBC Scotland’s seeming inability to question British
    Nationalist narratives: even if easily-checked facts
    are fantastical in nature.
    2) Lack of a mature, rational and honest explanation of
    Scotland’s income and expenditure. This is political in
    origin, but supported by our national media.

    This allows vapour ware like VOW 1.0 + 2.0 to be presented by as largesse to the Scots, when there is actually little of real money or power in the course of being transferred of course. The ‘Barnett Formula’ this time, like the previous ‘Mansion Tax’ for Murphy’s 1000 nurses, being the actual ‘no change in previous funding plans’ glorious reservoir of these these astonishing new offers.

    This aside…we need to watch the Scottish Parliament. Smith failed to enshrine it…the Commission’s fine words in that direction are rightly seen as political posturing and void of the legal safeguards envisaged. This matters, because having lost the Scottish Parliament, the British Labour Party will at the first opportunity seek to strip powers off to local councils and regional authorities, to weaken the status of the Parliament.

    Westminister should not have the right to distribute devolved powers from the Scottish Parliament to wherever it thinks is more politically advantageous. Nor should London Labour assume they have the right to ‘create an additional 1000 nurses’ in a devolved Scottish NHS.

    The strategy of Labour seems clearly to be to interfere with the current responsibilities and powers of Holyrood for their own benefit, as soon as is practically possible.

  30. Davy
    Ignored
    says:

    To continue:

    A VOW aday, keeps the Murphy away.

    A VOW in time, saves using another nine.

    You VOW me VOW everyone VOWs.

    I’ve come for my VOW, pilgrim.

    Did I use five VOWs or six, do you feel lucky punk.

    Just like buses, you wait for ages for a VOW and two come along together.

    How many VOWs does it take to screw in a lightbulb ?

    For the VOW, Harry and ST George, “retreat”.

    Dear Santa, all I want for xmas is a brand new VOW.
    PS, make it a pink one please, please, please.
    signed JiM ‘I’ve been a good boy’ Murrphy.

  31. Dr Ew
    Ignored
    says:

    Dr Vow
    From rUK with Love
    Brownfinger
    Murphyball
    You Only Vow Twice
    On Her Majesty’s Secret Service
    Lying is Forever
    Lie and Yet Vow
    The Man with the Gordon Brown
    The Spy Who Loved Murph
    Murphfaker
    Never Say Never Again
    For Your Ears Only
    A Vow To A Shill
    The Living Lowlifes
    Licence to Vow
    Gordonseye
    Tomorrow Never Delivers
    The Vow Is Not Enough
    Lie Another Day
    Cashinon Loyale
    Quantum of Polling
    Vowfall

    “Yesh, Moneypenny, Blowhard will deploy Odd Jim and his evil BBC henchmen, but they’re mistaken if they think they’ve got Pussy Galore – our intelligence says Labour only have about 7,000-odd fannies working for them.”

  32. kangaroo
    Ignored
    says:

    We amigos vow home rule devo max as near as federalism as possible. Then supplies control over road signs.
    Now the vow+ does that meane we get to choose the colours for the road signs too. You wee beauty. Gie us mair. Gie us mair.

    Eejit’s got a roo loose in his top paddock.

  33. Ghillie
    Ignored
    says:

    Oohhh….Vow plus??

    I thought the red cross thingy was a sticking plaster!

  34. Kevin meina
    Ignored
    says:

    Don’t forget the old fav the vow flew over the cuckoos nest.As it us a uk election MSM knows it’s fighting in two fronts.Todays Sun rips the arse out if the vow and says exactly what it is a big pile of nothing

  35. donald anderson
    Ignored
    says:

    Not a penny of Scottish resources will be diverted from the London coffers.

  36. Macart
    Ignored
    says:

    Oh, they’ve got to be kidding. VOW+?

    They’ve spent four years delivering nothing but misery whilst ‘representing’ our interests in Westminster. They spent the last two of those working hand in glove with the Tories to undermine Scottish independence denigrating their own constituencies and othering half the electorate. Now these useless articles expect our vote in exchange for the rehashed Scotland act, some un-costed, unplanned, undeliverable suggestions plus control over the absolutely vital power of road signage.

    The capper of course being their delivery system of choice – Gordon Brown. A man who personally guaranteed delivery of near federalism, home rule no less, only to bail on his job and his electorate at the first opportunity.

    FFS, insulting seems inadequate.

  37. JLT
    Ignored
    says:

    Who would have believed that the Politics of Britain would eventually end up in this position on day of Referendum result? Probably no-one.

    This is the flipside of the coin for the Unionists. They wanted Scotland to remain part of the Union, well, they got that. What they didn’t expect, or want, was the Yes ideology to manifest itself into the very heart of the House of Commons itself, and to possibly be in government for the entire UK! No wonder Unionists are panicking. Should the English electorate waken up to what the Scots were really advocating during the referendum, then a few MP’s who thought themselves always safe in their wee seat will begin to feel a bit uncomfortable as questions about what is morally and ethically right are put to them.

    It’s actually a curious thing this …wondering how it is all eventually going to turn out. Will the SNP hold the balance of power? Will they form a coalition? Will it begin the REAL steps towards indy-lite …or even the beginnings of the breakup of the UK as the SE of England really do have a hissy-fit and demand separation, since the thought of being ruled by Scottish Nationalists will be a step too far for them?

    Who knows …but it’s interesting trying to second guess the outcome.

  38. Giving Goose
    Ignored
    says:

    What happens if Vow+ fails to make traction in the minds of the Scottish electorate?
    Do we then get Vow Super+.
    Or Vow GTI Turbo?
    Perhaps VowTastic?
    VowWeeYaBas?

  39. Alistair
    Ignored
    says:

    Poor Jim

    Not big enough, not respected enough and without enough sway with the electorate to deliver the message himself, he has to step aside and let Gordy take centre stage once more. The honeymoon coming to an end then Jamesie?

    Slab. So big it needs two leaders.

  40. Mealer
    Ignored
    says:

    1.6 million folk voted for independence.How many of them will turn out to vote in May? That’s up to us.

  41. Wullsg
    Ignored
    says:

    This is hilarious.
    Not one of these idiots is giving the Scottish people credit for being able to see through it all…..
    What’s next, ” the vow 3 “??? ” Return of the vow” “the vow strikes back”???
    As Stu eloquently puts it a vote for SNP is the best no loose option on the ballot paper.

  42. Famous15
    Ignored
    says:

    BBC have finally gone loony. Wall to wall Brent decommissioning. I wonder why?

    They are so obvious. We are so accepting. Do not pay for their propaganda.

  43. Tamson
    Ignored
    says:

    My suggested movie title: Labour can string this out into a trilogy, at least:

    The Vow

    followed by:

    The Vow Reloaded

    and

    The Vow Revolution

    It’s a trilogy about living in an artificial reality where Labour politicians are actually on the side of the poor, and live up to their promises…
    …nah, hang on, that’s waaaaayyyy to far fetched!

  44. Willie Hogg
    Ignored
    says:

    Labour have no hope of outbidding the SNP, so perhaps they are trying to boost their vote by attracting Tories with their Lord Strathclyde Committee rip off.

  45. Kenny
    Ignored
    says:

    OK, so Labour want to fight this election based on who’s going to deliver more for Scotland. Does that mean the SNP can stand on a platform of delivering FFA/Devo Max/Home Rule and the Westminster parties will recognise a majority in Scotland for any party as a majority in favour of that outcome?

  46. Tam Jardine
    Ignored
    says:

    The danger we face here is that labour’s 650th accounting unit are releasing policy after policy… all absolute tripe they are so far from delivering and yet with the largely uncritical Scottish Branch’s of MSM it is constantly punted.

    When was the last time Nicola was given this oxygen of publicity? The anti-fracking moratorium was played down to the extent that there will be members of the public who do not know who was responsible for the move.

    As for the oil price drop. I have yet to hear a single interviewer ask a unionist ‘so, during the referendum the oil and gas industry was constantly referred to by unionist politicians as being in safer hands by the broad shoulders of the uk. What concrete actions has the UK government taken so far to support the industry, or was that just shite?’

    Let’s not get carried away by the polls – better together are still operating hand in hand with journalists and broadcasters. And how can the SNP seriously counter a move like Vow Plus which is so ridiculous and preposterous it invites just stunned silence?

    And all this while Jim Murphy is only accessed by compliant media – never in either parliament subject to critical questioning. I would love to see the SNP go in hard on his voting record, attendance record and expenses. There is a rich seam of Calvinism to be exploited in Scotland – do we really want to see politicians who are so dismal at representing us?

  47. Blind Squirrel
    Ignored
    says:

    Scottish Lib Dem leader Willie Rennie said that Labour “seem to be making it up as they go along”. He’s a smart cookie that Lib Dem branch manager.

  48. Clootie
    Ignored
    says:

    Look at the past history of the Labour Party. The have two principles copied from ancient war.

    a) Poison the well / scorched earth – As you retreat you deny the the enemy good ground. An example is Labour after 13 years in government put the top rate of tax up to 50% a few weeks before they lost the election. The Tories reduce it to 45% and they can go on the attack.

    b) Give ground for a better defensive position – Move back and appear to give ground to the enemy. In fact you are just retreating to a hill / river etc that you can hold for longer. Any offers are just minor losses to hold their vote for longer and not because they believe in giving more powers. Give less than you will lose anyway appears to be the motto.

  49. Anne
    Ignored
    says:

    And as for the disgraceful Sarah Smith super soft interview with Gordon Brown last night. In fact, I remember him smilingly agreeing with her saying ‘exactly so’.

  50. Gods Country
    Ignored
    says:

    What was folks opinion of MacWhirter on STV last night. I thought he was terrible and was almost throwing the remote at him. Kept agreeing with Clegg of DR for fooks sake. Made up my mind last night not to buy the Sunday Herald again but have slept on it and calmed down but appreciate peoples thoughts – ta.

  51. caz-m
    Ignored
    says:

    O/T

    Eleanor Bradford of BBC Scotland is sitting waiting to report on the latest waiting time figures for the Scottish NHS over the winter period.

    Whatever the figures, she will turn it into an SNP bad story.

    She is just another BBC Scotland attack dog.

    She actually drools at the mouth while delivering a bad Scottish NHS story.

    If it’s so bad up here Eleanor, there’s nobody stopping you from going back to England, where I am sure the NHS is far more superior to ours, is it not.

  52. heedtracker
    Ignored
    says:

    Daily hard core BBC vote Slab Scotland Brian Taylor propaganda and Gordon Brown’s a caged lion again, feel their panic and fear and trying not to show it

    “As ever, he spoke without notes, recalling compendious statistics with ease. As ever, he paced the stage like a caged lion, albeit one whose power was tamed by the electors some time back. As ever, he opened with a few funnies.

    It was, then, a familiar performance from Gordon Brown – albeit with a distinctly calibrated message. Labour will be hoping for one other element to be repeated: for Mr Brown’s oratory to deliver the success attributed to it during the referendum.”

    They’re certainly on their way out but its not a pretty site.

  53. Another Union Dividend
    Ignored
    says:

    Did anyone hear the Biased Broadcasting Corporation’s paper review on BBC Radio Scotland at 8.25 am?

    They quoted some paper headlines on Home Rule Minus then said and The National has “its own take” on The Vow on the front page and inside. They didn’t mention the clear front page of The National clearly and succinctly trashes The Vow Plus.

    Make sure The National is featured prominently in your local store.

    Shortly afterwards on Football Transfer round up BBC omitted to mention the five loan players from Newcastle to Rangers representing Mike Ashley’s two fingers to the SPFL.

    Its not just what the BBC say its also what they omit such as most of the SNP’s press releases whilst Labour’s output is promoted and then remains unchallenged.

  54. No no no...Yes
    Ignored
    says:

    Anne 8:43am Brown Smith interview
    It was so meek I thought at the end he was going to ask,
    “and how’s your mum and the family?” I was surprised the intro music for the speeches was the Steptoe and Son theme tune. Surely not a subversive employee in the editing room?

  55. galamcennalath
    Ignored
    says:

    Excellent appraisal of the situation, Stu.

    It’s sickening to watch the MSM treat all this Vowing seriously when it should simply be ridiculed. Vote grabbing empty promises which have will never be implemented.

    And, the brazen audacity of Federal Brown!

    We (most Scots?) perceive these Vows as hopelessly inadequate, however in England they are being interpreted as yet more special treatment for Scotland. If Labour don’t stop playing silly buggers in Scotland, English voters are going to turn their backs on Labour in droves. That doesn’t concern me, but the resentment and bad feeling which is being generated, does.

  56. cearc
    Ignored
    says:

    How now Brown vow?

  57. Grizzle McPuss
    Ignored
    says:

    So, we will go through fifty shades of Vow until the climax?

    Hopefully, all will be orgasmic on 7th May.

  58. Dorothy Devine
    Ignored
    says:

    Does anyone recall a group of folk invading either Manchester or Birmingham BBBC?

    I remember little of it and it was obviously swept under yet another magic carpet just in case it gave any other aggrieved group ideas.

    Wonder if the activity has been repeated anywhere?

    And how well are TV masts protected? Wasn’t the BBBC embarrassed in Ayrshire a few years ago when broadcasts were interrupted by some porn movie instead of news?

  59. Robert Kerr
    Ignored
    says:

    @David

    “The Midnight Vowboy”

    Superb!

    But who is “Ratso”?

  60. Another Union Dividend
    Ignored
    says:

    Didn’t watch STV last night but Iain MacWhirter has fair analysis of the “Deja Vow” in Herald this morning,

    https://archive.today/NqNEw

  61. Christian Wright
    Ignored
    says:

    From the Colonial Times 29 Nov 2014*:

    GORDON Brown will today say that it is time for Scottish politicians to move beyond constitutional wrangling … The former Labour prime minister will … mount a staunch defence of the Smith Commission against SNP claims that its proposals fall short of the more powers “vow” made at the end of the referendum campaign… the SNP complained it did not contain enough job-creating powers.

    As the architect of the “vow”… Mr Brown will point out that Scotland will end up with one of the world’s most powerful devolved parliaments.

    Mr Brown will call on the SNP to stop stirring up “gripes” and “grievances” against London … when he addresses the annual meeting of Labour councillors in Glasgow.

    So, why is that which was sufficient on 29 Nov 2014, is no longer sufficient come Feb 2015? Surely that should be the first question for Mr Brown?

    Second question should be why anyone should believe that having judged the original settlement sufficient, yet now conceding that settlement is in fact insufficient, anyone should believe in the sufficiency or longevity of any judgements or pronouncements of Mr Brown on matters constitutional and Scottish?

    * http://www.scotsman.com/news/politics/top-stories/gordon-brown-scots-politics-should-press-reset-1-3619787

  62. HandandShrimp
    Ignored
    says:

    To steal shamelessly from Douglas Adams

    The Vow Legacy

    The fifth in the increasingly inaccurately titled Vow trilogy.

  63. dennis mclaughlin
    Ignored
    says:

    Last one for today :- Apocalypse Vow
    on a more serious note the DR’s keeping Broon’s latest and greatest offering well away from the front page….

  64. North chiel
    Ignored
    says:

    So the second phase attack on Scottish democracy gets underway
    With Pacific Quay and London Labour working “better together”
    Such a pity that “a Scottish friendly” broadcaster couldn’t set up
    A news current affairs and sports channel to counter the “pacific propaganda
    Party”

  65. manandboy
    Ignored
    says:

    But still, 4 million voters in Scotland continue their love affair with the BBC/TV.

    Four million who daily practice their faith,
    morning till night.
    Worshipping at the altar of TV.

    Eyes glued, ears attentive.
    Waiting for god to appear – and to speak.
    Hour by hour.
    Day after day.

    This is the new religion.
    Saturation indoctrination.
    Neo-Liberal dogma.
    Unionist Labour doctrine.

    All delivered by the Ministers and High Priests
    commissioned and ordained at Westminster.
    In Scotland, under the Supreme Gordon, Patriarch of Kirkcaldy and the Lowlands,
    with his acolyte, Murphy.

    Who said Scotland is becoming less religious.
    Quite the opposite.
    Evidence the huge daily attendances at TVs up and down the country,
    particularly by the silent majority
    who prefer to keep their faith a private matter.

    As for the Vows? Merely religious instinct.

  66. McBoxHeid
    Ignored
    says:

    Tattie-bogle says:
    3 February, 2015 at 2:20 am

    They should do what they do best and abstain

    Your’re onto something there TB. If the message got across

    LABOUR VOTEERS, do what your party does best. ABSTAIN in May.
    You could do a jingle with the song http://www.google.de/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=2&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=0CCkQtwIwAQ&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fwatch%3Fv%3DftEJ8xSMQSo&ei=mJPQVMa1Mc3y7AaI6IGgBQ&usg=AFQjCNH9Rh9DuMJ2wu0JE9xU0pssPoy0nw&bvm=bv.85076809,d.ZGU

    But rewritten as ABSTAIN in MAY

  67. De Valera
    Ignored
    says:

    Brown is still using the phrase “pooling and sharing”. Will anybody still fall for this ?

    Pictures of hin and Murphy together give me the boak.

  68. desimond
    Ignored
    says:

    Vow Hard
    Vow Hard 2( released in scotland county as Vow Hard Plus)
    Vow Hard with a Vengeance
    A good day to Vow Hard

  69. Macca73
    Ignored
    says:

    It would seem that the vow has many heads it’s a bit like Medussa. Don’t look into Brown’s eyes he’ll turn you to stone!

    With fundraising for WOS coming up I wondered if a new WBB is needed more than ever now giving people who didn’t know the facts about what’s happened since the Referendum and the lies that have followed in order to win the 2 party elite vote to try and keep a grip on power. My fear with a WBB such as this is that it becomes to focused on attacking the labour party when in actual fact that’s the job of the SNP to defend itself by promoting it’s facts and figures to show this.

    With what I’ve just said in mind though is there some way of attacking these labour strongholds who might buy into these lies regardless and show the chink in the armour?

    Anyone got any ideas on how we can ensure that people don’t panic and vote labour because they buy the lies?

  70. Sinky
    Ignored
    says:

    REV says:

    We already know that an SNP vote can’t let the Tories in.

    Has anyone told Magnus Gardham as he repeats the Labour Mantra on front page of the Herald?

    The Tories will get in as many more voters in England will vote Tory than Labour as Miliband is useless

  71. Alabaman
    Ignored
    says:

    Jesus Christ,
    Just watched the interview by Sarha Smith with G Brown,
    It was not an interview, it was a political free broadcast for the Labour Party,it shows just what we are up against, the “dark forces of the media” are still here post referendum.

  72. Tamson
    Ignored
    says:

    Just a thought – if Gordon is going to be touring the country with this drivel, it would be great if we could help Lindsay Jarrett confront him face to face about his bare-faced lies about organ donation services.

    Sadly she doesn’t seem to have much time left, but I’m sure she’d be up for any opportunity to nail the lying. bastard.

  73. woosie
    Ignored
    says:

    Murphy & co keep saying that a vote for SNP is a vote for Cameron. They know full well that Scots don’t vote tory. With SNP’s statement that they would deal with Labour in government, they would get in, but with Scots likely to achieve more powers ( like those in the vows ). The only reason they don’t want SNP in is that they have no intention of delivering any of the powers spoken of.
    I’m again disgusted at Brown’s lying to his “own folk”. His peerage is clearly awaiting the rubber stamp, as he follows his old boss’s example – get Blair rich project.

  74. Mike
    Ignored
    says:

    If the vow was to deliver Devo Max and Home Rule then what is Vow plus meant to deliver? Independence?

  75. Dave McEwan Hill
    Ignored
    says:

    Camley’s cartoon in the Herald is first class.
    Iain McWhirter is calling it Deja Vow

  76. Christian Wright
    Ignored
    says:

    @tattie-bogle “LABOUR VOTEERS, do what your party does best. ABSTAIN in May.”

    Problem is they have the incentive of receiving a free “I’m with stupid!” tee-shirt for voting Labour on May 7.

  77. ScotsRenewables
    Ignored
    says:

    Re. The National –

    It’s only 50p a copy.

    Can’t some of you city dwellers start leaving a few copies on the buses among the Metros?

  78. BJ
    Ignored
    says:

    I find Sarah Smith almost as repulsive to watch as Blair McDougall. So smug. She must be right up there with the most biased and lazy commentators who are paid by the BBC.

  79. mumsyhugs
    Ignored
    says:

    Wee Ginger Dug absolutely on fire on this topic – a real must read – but keep the food and drink away fae the computer to avoid splutter splash! 🙂

  80. Flower of Scotland
    Ignored
    says:

    On Sky news, the business man Rose (ex M&S), says Labour is anti business.
    In Scotland however Labour are anti Scotland I say!

  81. jimnarlene
    Ignored
    says:

    Labour, please sod off, you are a millstone round Scotlands neck, you know where to shove your vow, by now.

  82. a2
    Ignored
    says:

    Wonder if they have had a Slap from Millibands office for winding up our southern friends yet. Or are they actually contriving to lose the election?

    Maybe the long term game plan is to lose this one if they don’t think they can hold an outright majority? blame the SNP, hope for an early re-run due to short Con majority.

    Or maybe they really are just happy to swap power with the cons whenever suits.

  83. Marcia
    Ignored
    says:

    ScotsRenewables

    Once I finished reading it I leave it on top of the Metros.

  84. Ali
    Ignored
    says:

    I’d love to laugh at this, secure in the knowledge that the Scottish electorate isn’t that stupid, but …

  85. Robert Peffers
    Ignored
    says:

    @Andy White says: 3 February, 2015 at 3:37 am:

    ” …(1) BBC Scotland’s seeming inability to question British Nationalist narratives: even if easily-checked facts are fantastical in nature.

    First of all, Andy, they are not British Nationalists – They are United Kingdom. (a.k.a. English), Nationalists.

    The reason being that the BBC are part of the Establishment which, since devolution, is now the de facto Parliament of the Country of England. The once bipartite United Kingdom now being divided as a quadratic union of countries under English rule.
    ———————————————————
    2) Lack of a mature, rational and honest explanation of
    Scotland’s income and expenditure. This is political in
    origin, but supported by our national media.

    Once again it comes down to Westminster as the de facto parliament of the country of England but, for the purpose of accounting, they fund England as the United Kingdom while deciding the level of the other three countries block Grants and moderating those block grants by use of Barnett Consequentials.

    However they also cheat by allowing certain English infrastructure costs to be outwith positive Barnett Consequentials. (Thus That English extra spending does not increase Scottish funding but the rest always decreases it). That equates to England claiming everything and giving back to the other three countries only what England decides is good for England.

    Note: – 533 English MPs wearing two hats against 59 Scots+40 Welsh+18 N.I=117 and 533-117=416 of a clear English majority. Do you imagine that those 533 Westminster MPs, (who thus double up as the de facto parliament of England’s government), do not put their country first? If you were in their – Err! Hats – would you put your country first?

  86. HandandShrimp
    Ignored
    says:

    There is one major difference between the referendum and the GE2015. In Sept the CBI and all their little demons were in lock step with the Labour Party and the media to set their face against a Yes vote. Many of these organisations and media outlets are less keen on Ed taking the keys to No 10 though. While BBC Scotland (I confess I have watched the Smith thing once and will not waste my time again) may back Labour not all the papers will or major organisations will. This is going to be a lot messier and there will be back stabbing aplenty.

    The pressure that Labour are under from fear of an SNP victory in Scotland is palpable and their line in the sand on more devolution has long since blown away. They are suffering from the lack of vision and bravery shown when it came to their red paper last year. They thought they could hedge their bets and buy us off cheaply. It was that same lack of vision that cost Brown his premiership. If he had gone to the country when he first took over he may well have won. He bottled it. Labour have bottled Home Rule and are paying the price.

  87. Marcia
    Ignored
    says:

    All the talk of Vow+ or Super Vow doesn’t seem to be impressing the voters.

    The last poll details published today was be worrying Labour. The negative rating for Murphy is very justified.

    http://scotgoespop.blogspot.co.uk/2015/02/snp-power-to-record-21-lead-in-jaw.html

  88. Marcia
    Ignored
    says:

    was = will grrr!

  89. Grouse Beater
    Ignored
    says:

    I can’t abide watching the BBC give free programme time to Brown and Murphy.

    To practise real democracy we should hear out our enemies, but that didn’t include giving the bastards extra time.

    For ‘The Enemies of Greece’s Reformation’ look here:

    https://grousebeater.wordpress.com/2015/02/03/the-enemies-of-greeces-reformation/

  90. One_Scot
    Ignored
    says:

    Will they never learn, do they not realise they are wasting their time. You can say what you like about the Scottish electorate, but never let it be said that they are gullible, thick as shit, and easy to take the piss out of, wait a minute… OMG.

  91. Kenzie
    Ignored
    says:

    @ Robert Kerr

    That would be Smugmurph himself.

  92. Croompenstein
    Ignored
    says:

    The knee vow’s connected to the leg vow
    The leg vow’s connected to the foot vow
    The foot vow’s connected to the mooth vow
    Now hear the word of the Gord..

  93. Midgehunter
    Ignored
    says:

    Were the midnight vowboys having a pow-vow yesterday? 🙂

  94. Auld Rock
    Ignored
    says:

    Buffoon Brown and Murph the Smurf can witter away to their hearts content but not once have I heard them giving a cast iron guarantee that all elected Red Tory MP’s, especially the few Scottish ones, will vote for more powers. I’ve like many others have long memories of 1979 and the betrayal of Labour MP’s, a fact that a recent Post of Stu’s highlighted and anybody in any doubt just go and read Jim Callaghan’s excellent memoirs where he identify’s the ("Tractor" - Ed)s in Labour’s ranks and their successors are still around, sadly.

    Auld Rock

  95. galamcennalath
    Ignored
    says:

    Vowlander?

    Nah, they will ban showing that in case we get rebellious ideas 🙂

  96. Bob Millar
    Ignored
    says:

    Did Ed Milliband not promise 20,000 extra nurses for England and Wales? If so Jim Murphy is short-changing Scotland by about 600 nurses.

  97. Lanarkist
    Ignored
    says:

    Vowlander,

    Are we ever going to get to see the World wide hit filmed in Scotland about a period from our own history?

    It seems everyone else in the World loves it and it could boost tourism to our country in the near future. Imagine coming from Abroad to visit, full of excitement, to find that no one here knows what you are raving about.

    Another example of our own history being denied exposure to us, another censorship, another rewrite!

    Will the media “allow” us to view it some time after the Scottish Elections in 2016 when they consider it to be safe to release to the Scottish public?

  98. Lanarkist
    Ignored
    says:

    Should of course have read, Vowlands. See, don’t even know it’s proper title!

  99. Lanarkist
    Ignored
    says:

    Wow, , Galamcennalath you must have posted whilst I was typing that!

  100. Andrew Haddow
    Ignored
    says:

    Labour don’t want to win the election. They’re quite happy lapping up the gravy while having zero responsibilities. The Tories are implementing their policies for them anyway.

  101. Sandra
    Ignored
    says:

    How can Brown “vow” anything? He’s just an opposition backbencher, and he isn’t even standing in May.

    But someone should investigate turning all these vows and hot air into a renewable source of energy. There seems to be an unlimited supply.

  102. heedtracker
    Ignored
    says:

    BBC full on attack on Scottish democracy now along with whatever it is the Electoral Commission registrars are up to here.

    http://newsnet.scot/2015/01/new-registration-rules-spark-voter-loss-fears-2016-election/

    Why did they wait til after the referendum and why does such huge jump in Scottish voter registration then get wiped off again by Electoral Commission?

    Our imperial masters are not going to lose control of Scotland to anyone.

    “It is believe that as many as 800,000 people who signed up to vote in last year’s referendum may not be eligible for the Scottish Parliamentary elections in 2016.”

    “A voter registration drive in some areas of Scotland, and particularly Glasgow, resulted in a massive growth in the number of eligible voters and contributed to the record turnout last September 18.

    There was controversy when some local authorities opted to use the new voter records to chase up poll tax debts, and the threat was averted only when the Scottish Government intervened. There was concern then that such a move would deter people from voting.”

  103. Port Jim
    Ignored
    says:

    The “original” vow, according to GB, was supposed to be the ultimate – as close to home rule / federalism etc. as is possible within the UK. The vow was “delivered”. Yet now they propose additional powers?
    Anyone who doesn’t now see the whole vow thing as totally incredible (as in ‘not worthy of belief’) should be barred from voting on grounds of mental incapacity!

  104. Luigi
    Ignored
    says:

    Oh Dear! Leader Jim Murphy’s coronation in Scotland has gone down like a lead balloon. Things haven’t quite gone to plan, so the Red Tories now call back an even bigger beast. The maleficent Gordzilla takes the stage one last time. One last roar. This really is last chance saloon for the panicky Red Tories. It’s a final throw of the dice.

    It’s also an incredibly risky move – how is this to play down south? This could cost Milliband his chance to become PM. It’s almost as if the Red Tories are hoping the (blue Tory) English MSM will ease off and dampen down the news that Labour are trying to appease this Scottish support.

    “After all, last year, we worked hard with you blue tories to win the scotch referendum – without us red tories, you would have lost Scotland. Now, surely in the interests of protecting the union, you will go softly on what we are trying to do in Scotland to keep the SNP out – yes?”

    Not a chance! – it’s dog-eat-dog in the blue tory world. Besides, there are important marginal seats in south England, with UKIP snapping at their heals. “Not a chance, Reds, but thanks all the same for saving the union, and thank you very, very much for giving us enough ammo to make sure that Ed never makes it to Downing Street, Dear Chaps (red tory pricks)!”

  105. Midgehunter
    Ignored
    says:

    Lanarkist

    “Are we ever going to get to see the World wide hit filmed in Scotland about a period from our own history?”

    Probably not till Indy comes.

    But we did get that other great film “Vow spotting” 😉

  106. galamcennalath
    Ignored
    says:

    No one actually wants this DevoTinkeringAtTheEdges stuff.

    Opinion polls since October have consistently shown a narrow majority for Indy Yes.

    Opinion polls for years have consistently shown that two thirds think devolution should mean FFA.

    Also, there are perhaps 20% of BritNats (mainly Tories) in Scotland who want to stop or even roll back devolving powers.

    What does that leave? An insignificant small group actually wanting a few more powers and limited devolution.

    All Labour are achieving is winding up English voters!

  107. manandboy
    Ignored
    says:

    Bro in NZ says Outlander would have been “pivotal”
    had it been shown in Scotland prior to IndyRef.

    The BBC will NEVER show this series
    as long as the Independence movement maintains its present strength.

    In Scotland, there is NOTHING more anti-Scotland, than the BBC.

  108. Macca73
    Ignored
    says:

    Something else which has struck me recently is the amount of funding that the Labour party is getting seems to be dwindling quickly. Many now don’t want to pay union fees towards them and nowhere was this more evident than the unions not backing Murphy in Scotland and many more like Co-Op etc simply can’t keep giving the party money when they have thier own interests to look after.

  109. Brian
    Ignored
    says:

    Shamrock

    How many times are the Scottish people going to be
    conned by Mr Brown. These vows are not devolved powers
    they are controlled powers, by which the Scottish Govt.
    will not be able to carry out improved conditions for
    their electorate . Maximise the SNP vote throughout the
    whole of Scotland

  110. Robert Peffers
    Ignored
    says:

    Sheesh! The wee dog alerted me that a gang of tarmac workers were working on the footpath at my gate. Worried that I would not be able to get out I went to ask them what the situation was.

    Inevitably they remarked upon my YES Badged hat and abuse of the SNP began. They were Labour Unionists to a man and Brown, Murphy supporters to boot. On the subject of SNP it was, “Oh! We don’t want them”. I replied that whether they personally did not want them the opinion polls ALL say they are going to get them. They actually thought Labour a shoe in for the GE

    Would you believe not a single member of the gang knew Labour, LibDem and Tory MPs were all in danger of being wiped out in Scotland? The ganger immediately started to run down Salmond as a yesterdays man. I had to laugh and the look on his face when I said that Brown was only a back bencher in opposition as was Darling and neither they or Murphy were in any position to promise Scotland anything not being in government and needing to get the Labour Vow past the English Westminster Tory/LibDems and also the HOLs.

    They went a bit quiet when I said all their jobs depended upon that Westminster block grant and that the main Coalition cuts to that were still to come and their beloved Labour Party had promised to out cut the Tories and Labour had abstained on important votes. Ignorance, they say, is bliss.

  111. Luigi
    Ignored
    says:

    Andrew Haddow says:

    3 February, 2015 at 10:13 am

    Labour don’t want to win the election. They’re quite happy lapping up the gravy while having zero responsibilities. The Tories are implementing their policies for them anyway.

    I am beginning to wonder – they do seem to be trying hard to lose the election. Gordon Brown was the classic case of a politician who spent his entire career scheming and plotting to get to the top, and yet when he made it, he was not comfortable. The weight of responsibility was too much for him to bear. And Gordon Brown is supposed to be one of the more talented of the Red Tories. For those, many other Red Tory minions, of high ambition and low ability, it makes perfect sense to sup at the trough in perpetual opposition. It’s the life of Reilly for a Red Tory. What’s not to like?

  112. Lanarkist
    Ignored
    says:

    Who created Vowlander?

    Was it a BBC production or a freelance productions?

    The BBC surely can’t control every channel on the T.V. Come on STV get your commissioning finger out!

    Would be nice to know what all the fuss is about though.

  113. manandboy
    Ignored
    says:

    Brown has a deadline to get his message across,
    after which the law of diminishing returns applies.

    The date will be the first day of Postal Voting –
    not yet announced as far as I am aware.

    In the week prior to this date,
    we can expect saturation bombing of the elderly TV audience.
    If the message during this week contains a bribe,
    then it will be because security of the postal votes
    has been successfully tightened up.
    Otherwise the bribe will be delayed – just as in IndyRef.

  114. galamcennalath
    Ignored
    says:

    Luigi says:
    “It’s also an incredibly risky move – how is this to play down south? This could cost Milliband his chance to become PM.”

    Agreed. Labour would probably achieve more if they just came out and said, “You Scots have got all you are going to get. You voted No, Smith delivered, now shut up!” It would go down very well in England!

    Wipe out in Scotland has been on the cards for a decade. They probably can’t stop it now. They still have everything to play for in rUK.

  115. Helena Brown
    Ignored
    says:

    Manandboy, thank your brother for me, I have been banging on about this for ever. Having read the books, and would love to see the series, I know how this would have played or would play right now. So unless we Scots get back into our shortbread tin we have only got the books, I will say the first one is a doozer, with Diana Gabldon and her Nessie.
    Lanarkist, produced by a company in from the States, Left Bank Pictures for Starz. They also produced a series called Black Sails which, believe it or not you CAN buy here. No Scottish Nationalism there of course.

  116. manandboy
    Ignored
    says:

    Re Outlander.
    It is not a single film like ‘Braveheart’.
    It is a series of 9 films.
    The impact of nine films over a period of 2 months is not hard to imagine.
    So I repeat, the BBC will NEVER show this series here in the UK as long as the Indy movement is alive.

  117. Luigi
    Ignored
    says:

    Robert Peffers says:

    3 February, 2015 at 10:28 am

    Robert, I’m sorry to hear that you encountered a group of Daily Record readers.

    There are still quite a few around, unfortunately.

  118. Helena Brown
    Ignored
    says:

    Manadboy, sixteen in the first round, thirteen in the second. Former based on the first book, the thirteen on the second.

  119. Helena Brown
    Ignored
    says:

    Right back to the subject in hand, Brown may have scuppered Miliband’s chances of becoming PM, not that many think that he has much of a chance. There are as many scenarios as there are characters in this. Brown, wants to appear as the man who saved Scotland again, but doesn’t realise he is losing England. Those movers and shakers at Davos have told them in the Labour Party they have to allow the Tories in again. That Labour know they are going to lose and they want the Scots to be the fall guy. Then they can blame the SNP for everything. I think if you can think of a conspiracy you can use it. They could simply be too stupid for words.

  120. manandboy
    Ignored
    says:

    Helena, sorry, we were writing at the same time!

    I will thank him of course.
    My wife has the books but she doesn’t speak of them, though she hugely enjoyed the first volume.

    The Bro in NZ said there were scenes in the series which were unforgettable, indelible illustrations of what the English did to the Scots. He is in no doubt about their impact on voter sentiment.

  121. Lanarkist
    Ignored
    says:

    Vowlander, Starz is the USA company, Left Bank Productions is based in London and was financed by Sony UK to create the TV series.

    Released in Australia before Ref. Then Canada, Ireland and South Africa.

    Seems the only English speaking country left to see it is the UK, wonder why that is?

    Won awards, you would think they would like to increase their audience no’s/fans and encourage the franchise appeal by assisting tourism spin offs in Scotland where filming took place.

    Wonder if they have been paid compensation for the loss of this market share?

  122. Author_al
    Ignored
    says:

    Apologies to Mary Poppins…

    SoupedupvowfromnarcissisticGordonisatrocious….

  123. manandboy
    Ignored
    says:

    Helena, I can’t keep up!

    You are clearly better informed than I, – I’m just using the internet – but 29 episodes! Wow!
    If only there was a way of showing these films across Scotland.
    Maybe someone will find a way.

  124. Capella
    Ignored
    says:

    See the Amazon Outlander DVD site. “Not available” with no explanation or forecast when it might be, though I did hear it was to be released in March. The comments below are interesting.
    https://archive.today/J3ZLX
    Diane Gabaldon, interviewed at the Edinburgh Book Festival did start to explain that it was the Referendum that prevented the film release in UK.
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eV4l1JCCnV4
    The reason you can see films such as “Trainspotting” is thought to be that it is OK to broadcast material depicting Scots as hopelessly addited to drugs or alcohol, criminals and assorted low life denizens etc.

  125. Desimond
    Ignored
    says:

    Just been thinking about Vow Plus and “SNP Nurses PLUS 1000” and thinking, what should the SNP do next.

    They arent going to get the media headlines or media coverage to defend or disect such labour bullshit so why not go over the top.

    Lets get some crazy promises out there and watch Labour blindly copy everyone ( Im still laughing at wee Megrits smiling face in Mondays Daily record backing votes for 16 years olds like she invented the idea)

    All suggestions welcome but I suggest the following:

    Supermarket trolleys will no longer need £1 coins or those daft wee washer things.

    You will be allowed to buy alcohol from 8am till midnight providing its bought with a Croissant (morning) or Chicken\ChickPea Pakora (evening)

    All Public Swimming Pools will be free on production of an organ donor card.

  126. Wrinkleyreborn
    Ignored
    says:

    One has to wonder whether a democracy dependent upon the electorate doing what they are told has any value. The referendum demonstrated what our so called leaders have become. Under their oversight inequality has grown until soon 1% of the population will have 50% of the entire wealth of the world. As the generation who fought a World war to secure better conditions for all, die off so those benefits are eroded from the weakest among us. Our elite have progressed back to living off the scraps from Longshank’s table. Every thing they touch becomes corrupted until they alone have a voice. I am left wondering whether 77 Brigade, once formed will be deployed domestically to maintain power for those that do not deserve have it. The time for change is upon us and needs to be seized before it is lost.

  127. Lollysmum
    Ignored
    says:

    Is there no chance of anyone getting a box set from abroad via a relative/friend? Worth exploring possibilities surely?

  128. cearc
    Ignored
    says:

    Capella,

    In USA, (amazon.com) release date is March 3rd.

  129. Proud Cybernat
    Ignored
    says:

    This is great and I really hope SLABBC Propaganda Unit punts it full pelt for the next 3 months.

    First you had VOW. Now you have VOW+. Keep it going SLABBC, keep it going. All you’re doing wih this utter VOW+ pish is reminding every single YES voter in Scotland just how much we were cheated by SLAB, BBC and the Daily Redcoat with the first incarnation. Well, come May you will get it all back in spades–there’s nothing surer.

  130. Robert Peffers
    Ignored
    says:

    I Vow To Thee My Country.

    (1)
    “I vow to thee, my country all earthly things above
    Entire and whole and perfect, the service of my love,
    The love that asks no question: the love that stands the test,
    That lays upon the altar the dearest and the best:
    The love that never falters, the love that pays the price,
    The love that makes undaunted the final sacrifice.”

    By Sir Cecil Spring-Rice 1859-1918,UK diplomat; Ambassador to Washington from 1912.
    (written on the eve of his departure from Washington, 12 January 1918).

    (2).
    “And there’s another country, I’ve heard of long ago
    Most dear to them that love her, most great to them that know.”

    (3).

    “Her ways are ways of gentleness and all her paths are Peace.”
    
    Believe it or not he was actually speaking about the USA!

  131. Fred
    Ignored
    says:

    “There are two ways to be fooled, one is to believe what isn’t true, the other is to refuse to believe what is true!”

    Soren Kirkegaard.

  132. HandandShrimp
    Ignored
    says:

    I just waiting for Labour to propose independence and stand there looking as if it was their idea which they have forced the SNP to adopt.

    🙂

  133. Capella
    Ignored
    says:

    @ cearc
    Thanks for info. Last time I tried to buy a film from amazon.com it refused to process the order as the DVD was not for sale outside Region 1, i.e. US. One could get a friend to send it though. I do have a DVD player which will play other regions otherwise you still would not be able to view it.
    The interesting point is, how can it be that Sony Corp, who want to license it in UK as Diana Gabaldon says (approx 19 minutes into the Youtube film link above) and Amazon, who would certainly sell many copies of the DVD, are prevented from doing this? Anyone know how this rather obvious censorship works?

  134. Luigi
    Ignored
    says:

    Coming soon:

    Vow Max

  135. arthur thomson
    Ignored
    says:

    Deja poo, as someone said yesterday. Same old crap. I liked Tam Jardine’s point about there being a rich vein of calvanism out there. We need to expose the behaviour and greed of Scotch MP’s. For the sake of our morale we need to remind ourselves each day that we are not our brother’s keeper – which the despicable Brown considers himself to be. No-one whose eyes are opened to the truth will be deceived. All we can do is open as many eyes as we can, be very patient and remember that all we do at this time is to ensure the future benefit of the bairns. We are caring people, unlike those who oppose us – not magicians.

  136. Desimond
    Ignored
    says:

    @Proud Cybernat

    Your post made me smile there, suddenly found myself thinking of the fashion store above Argyle Street Station in Glasgow back in the early 1980s. Its name:

    JUST PANTS PLUS!

    How very apt!

  137. Jim Thomson
    Ignored
    says:

    Outlander is available from amazon.com – NOT Amazon.co.uk

    http://www.amazon.com/Outlander-Season-01-Caitriona-Balfe/dp/B00RGQ4674/ref=sr_1_1?s=movies-tv&ie=UTF8&qid=1422963513&sr=1-1&keywords=outlander+tv+series

    Be advised though that this will be region locked and if you want import a copy PLEASE make sure your DVD player is capable of playing out of region DVDs (i.e it is unlocked).

  138. Micky d
    Ignored
    says:

    Where’s darling. He’s awfy quiet these days? Maybe he’s taking a vow of silence.

  139. Rab.c
    Ignored
    says:

    Have scottish labour metamurphysised into merry macs joke book?

  140. Luigi
    Ignored
    says:

    Fred says:

    3 February, 2015 at 11:35 am

    “There are two ways to be fooled, one is to believe what isn’t true, the other is to refuse to believe what is true!”

    Soren Kirkegaard.

    It’s always been a matter of belief. Do you believe that Scotland CAN be an independent country or not? Belief systems are very stubborn and do not yield easily to common sense – a person only changes his/her core belief system when it no longer delivers what is expected/ required.

    Watch this space!

  141. Dave McEwan Hill
    Ignored
    says:

    Marcia at 9.47

    Details on the independence question asks further questions of the validity of the result on 18th September.

    As I have said before I don’t believe it.

    It is beyond my ability to understand how Argyll and Bute for instance registered 14,700 postal votes (instead of the usual couple of thousand) and then achieved a North Korean 97% take up on this. Utter bollocks. And five other constituencies achieved around that figure with many not very far off.
    Wont get fooled again

  142. Dorothy Devine
    Ignored
    says:

    I am watching Outlander on youtube – beautifully filmed.

  143. Robert Peffers
    Ignored
    says:

    @Alistair says:3 February, 2015 at 7:32 am:

    “Poor Jim”

    Poor he is NOT.

    “The honeymoon coming to an end then Jamesie?”

    Sitting here thinking, (as is my wont), I conclude those MPs from the Unionist Parties in Scotland, who are unseated in the GE, may well be the lucky ones. Those that remain at Westminster may suffer a fate much worse than death.

  144. biggpolmont
    Ignored
    says:

    Sh*t ! I missed that Vow !
    Never mind there will be another along in a minute!

  145. ronnie anderson
    Ignored
    says:

    The VOW over the River Wry
    (note no service Men or Women were killed or maimed in the making of this Film)just Civilians.

    Anyone listening to that interview with John Mackay last nite Brown was all over the place on welfare benifits ( differant benifits for every region).

    The SNP at FMs questions need to tackle this shitheids utterances ( its the only way to get the message across nationaly ) unless they are going to come out & decry the British Media for BIAS especially the BIAS of main stream TV Interviews & Interviewers & drop the political niceties.

    Ah spades ah spade an no ah squaremooth shovel, & its about time the SNP opened their mooths,their being directed in interviews, not taking the initative when it presents itself, ah la Murphy.

  146. Jim Thomson
    Ignored
    says:

    … and for those still on the “Outlander” search, I found this
    http://www.idigitaltimes.com/outlander-series-starz-streaming-will-hit-series-come-netflix-387690

  147. Joemcg
    Ignored
    says:

    Dave Hill-spot on. These huge SNP leads are meaningless as the postal boxes are probably already stuffed with Red Tory crosses especially in the most hated candidates constituencies like Dougie Rat Face and Bayonet Davidson etc.

  148. Helena Brown
    Ignored
    says:

    Manandboy, Wiki is a wonderful tool but I have a friend in Pennsylania who is watching the series. She was asking if I had seen it and I had to say that given the Political situation I had doubts that I would see this in my lifetime. Thankfully I have been reading this series for years so nothing is missing from my view on this, it will not be shown unless we can hold them accountable for censorship.

  149. gerry parker
    Ignored
    says:

    @Dave Mc Ewan hill,
    My request to the Scottish Parliament to allow me to raise a petition to ask the Scottish Government to investigate the outcome produced this.

    “Dear Mr Parker

    Thank you for submitting your proposal for a petition to the Scottish Parliament.

    I have to advise that your petition is inadmissible as it asks the Scottish Parliament to do something that it has no power to do. In relation to allegations of voting anomalies, these are not matters that the Scottish Parliament has any powers to investigate or become involved in. Elections are run by independent Returning Officers in each region. Concerns about what happened in a particular region should be raised with the relevant Returning Officer and any evidence of fraud is a matter for the police.

    In relation to the referendum more generally and how it was conducted this is the responsibility of the Electoral Commission. A link to its website can be found here: http://www.electoralcommission.org.uk/scotland. It published a report on the Scottish independence referendum in December.

    I hope this is helpful and provides the assistance you need to raise your concerns with the appropriate officers.”

  150. galamcennalath
    Ignored
    says:

    I understand region 2 DVDs of Outlander will be released in March. Two months before the election.

    It will be widely watched and from what I’ve seen of it online, could have a political impact. (Why else has the rest of the world been allowed to see it, but not here?)

    Unless, that is, there is some attempt to slow down or block availability.

  151. bookie from hell
    Ignored
    says:

    cyberVOW

  152. Helena Brown
    Ignored
    says:

    Jim Thomson, I would not hold my breath this was written March 2014.

  153. Black Douglas
    Ignored
    says:

    Is this the beginning of the end?

    https://archive.today/iXwjs

    2nd class MPs.

    Elected to the house but you can’t vote on the important subjects. That would be the domain of the rUK members.

    In other words no Jocks here please.

  154. arthur thomson
    Ignored
    says:

    O/T, Nicola doing well according to 64% in Yougov poll. A brilliant result which I think vindicates her ‘feet on the ground’ approach. She has integrity and comes across as a decent, intelligent and grounded person. Contrast with Brown.

  155. caz-m
    Ignored
    says:

    True “NO Voters” are actually furious with Brown. They didn’t want any offers made just before the Referendum vote. They were confident that the NO vote would win without any carrots.

    So when Brown came up with more powers and the VOW, they knew it would only lead to Scots wanting even more powers.

    And when Brown came up with this idea yesterday of offering the VOW+, well they totally disowned Brown. They say that all he is doing is pouring more fuel onto the Independence fire.

    They say he is making offers that didn’t need to be made in the first place.

    Brown loosing support from all quarters.

  156. Effijy
    Ignored
    says:

    Super Mega Ultra Maxi Ubber Independence
    Even though the sound of it is quite atrocious.

  157. caz-m
    Ignored
    says:

    Crash helmets on, BBC Scotland’s Eleanor Bradford is on the loose.

  158. heedtracker
    Ignored
    says:

    BBC radio 4 news now attacking SNP Scots.gov every hour on the hour with Colin Blain is it, giving usual in depth attack on Scots NHS. Something’s rattled BBC cage alright. BBC R4 interesting attacks though, as these creeps never ever allow any SNP reply, a complete and utter purdah on any comeback and that’s real imperial master power/bias.

  159. bookie from hell
    Ignored
    says:

    Iain Macwhirter

    herald

    Labour’s electoral plight in Scotland – despite the expected boost in tomorrow’s Lord Ashcroft constituency polls

    if this is true–why the Vow + panic yesterday by labour

  160. galamcennalath
    Ignored
    says:

    Black Douglas says:
    “Is this the beginning of the end?”

    Yes, it’s good to see we are not the only ones working towards inevitable Scottish independence!

    EVEL is fine, as long as they are not voting to spend taxes gathered in Scotland, or voting to reduce spending which will effect Scotland via Barnet. And, without FFA in Scotland those situations will apply to almost everything. That would be taxation without representation.

  161. Muscleguy
    Ignored
    says:

    Another Vow in the Hall Part II

  162. Muscleguy
    Ignored
    says:

    You’s don’t need no education
    If you don’t eat your cereal
    How can you have any nasty gruel?

  163. smithie
    Ignored
    says:

    A simple search, Watch Outlander online. Simples.You may need Ad blocker. I found it no problem.First is the pilot then it follows on. Plays fine for me. Looking forward to watching it if it is as good as being said.
    Happy hunting

  164. Capella
    Ignored
    says:

    @ heedtracker 10.19 am
    I read the Newsnet article you linked to above with interest.
    “It is believe that as many as 800,000 people who signed up to vote in last year’s referendum may not be eligible for the Scottish Parliamentary elections in 2016.”
    This 800,000 seems to be a magic number. We were told that an extra 800,000 voting papers had been printed in case any got lost or damaged. We were aso told that 800,000 had registered for postal votes – a record number. Now it seems 800,000 may be lost from the register.
    What is it about 800,000? Any mathematicians or numerologists out there?

  165. call me dave
    Ignored
    says:

    Rifkin on daily politics trying hard to justify the proposition which will allow ‘English MP’s to vote for English matters’ without much success.

    Seems that the other countries in the union will have their MP’s relegated to 2nd division status.

    This family of nations oft quoted by the unionists is a lie, wake up those that voted no… YES is going to prevail much sooner than I thought.

    🙂

  166. McDuff
    Ignored
    says:

    I still contend that it would be a huge mistake for the SNP to enter into a coalition with a toxic Labour party which would eventually damage the Scottish government by association.

  167. Desimond
    Ignored
    says:

    Petula Clark to make a chart comeback:

    When you’re alone
    And Polls are making you lonely,
    You can always go Vow..town

  168. D
    Ignored
    says:

    50 shades of vow. Is Gordon Brown coming back again in 2016 before the Scottish Parliament elections? With Jim Murphy already a premature ejaculation which loser Labour politician will be forced into his red room in 2016 to be stimulated by the latest version of his vow.

  169. Lesley-Anne
    Ignored
    says:

    What can I say that has not already been said? 😉

    I’ll by pass saying anything about the VOW versioan whatever it is and jump straight into the #VowFilmTitles instead. Here are a few that I put up last night to add to the list begun earlier today.

    Star Trek – The Vow picture
    Star Trek II – The Vow of Khan
    Star Trek III – The search for the Vow
    Star Trek IV – The vow home
    Star Trek V – The Final Vow
    Star Trek VI – The undiscovered Vow

    Monty Carlo or the Vow
    Those magnificent men and their flying Vows

    Dirty Vow
    Magnum Vow

    The Good, the Bad and the Vow
    Pale Vow
    A fistful of Vows
    For a few vows more
    The vows of Madison county
    Every which way but vow
    Any which way you vow
    Play vow for me
    Two vows for sister Sara
    Mystic Vow
    Where Eagles Vow

    True Vow

    One wee aside to finish with.

    For those who don’t know the Maryhill Foodbank was broken into over the weekend. Here is a wee link to a video by Julie who runs the foodbank.

    https://www.facebook.com/video.php?v=766194513468193

    In my view hanging is too good for the bastardswho did this disgusting act. I hope Julie is able to get her fund raiser up and running soon cause I know the whole of Scotland is sickened by this despicable act and we will asll do whatever we can to help.

  170. Snode1965
    Ignored
    says:

    Brigabroon…..the North British region where if anyone ever leaves,the Labour spell will be broken,and the region will vanish forever! 🙂

  171. Robert Peffers
    Ignored
    says:

    @Capella says:3 February, 2015 at 11:37 am:

    “Anyone know how this rather obvious censorship works?”

    Indeed we do. The DVD disks are encrypted for each region but not only can you buy players that play all regions, (particularly portable units), there are freeware/opensource computer programs to decode the disks.

    Google & download – Handbrake; DVD Shrink and/or DVD Decrypter. These can decrypt other regions DVDa, (and computer files), to burn to blank DVDs. Many bought DVD films are too large to copy to blank DVD Disks and that’s where DVD Shrink comes in useful.

  172. Lanarkist
    Ignored
    says:

    If Vowlander is as good as it is supposed to be, and has somehow been blocked/censored at the highest levels it is not going to be a mass audience sensation in this country like other parts of the world.

    The point here being that it is fundamentally undermined as a tool for electioneering if only those proficient on online media can see it, we need the other demographic to be able to view it en mass to create the necessary buzz of discussions that might lead to them opening their eyes!

    Viewing only online in isolated groups is a bit like the “bubble”, preaching to the converted, we need to be able to allow anyone/everyone to see it and join in the discussion.

    I think it is for this reason that it has been embargoed for release in the UK!

  173. cynicalHighlander
    Ignored
    says:

    Britaniana Brown in The Last Crusade searching for the Holy Vow.

  174. heedtracker
    Ignored
    says:

    @ Capella What is it about 800,000? Any mathematicians or numerologists out there?

    Exactly and why are Electoral Commission moving and changing the electoral register now and in Scotland only? Its highly suspicious activity from an outfit that had nothing to say about why and THE VOW fraud was considered and acceptable intervention by teamGB in Scotland’s referendum, after maybe a million people had already voted by post. THE VOW alone should have rendered the ref null and void. A lot of these quangos, notjust the BBC in Scotland are run by red and blue tory boys to a man and woman, union jocks, UK establishment liggers, you name it.

    Or, if you were organising a giant electoral fraud, after the vote you move to completely eradicate any kind of evidence. Or, why hasn’t Ruth Davidson been taken to court over her announcement of the referendum result on BBC tv before the result was announced or known? because she had already been told by Conservative activists who had seen the ballot papers, allegedly and by who else? There are a lot out there determined to stop power coming to the people of Scotland for lots of reasons.

  175. think again
    Ignored
    says:

    Desimond @ 12.42

    Petula will haunt me all day now.

  176. ScottieDog
    Ignored
    says:

    The labour playlist….

    5 Send in the browns
    4 Brown filled malice
    3 take a look at ma vow (there’s just an empty space)
    2 London’s Calling
    1 I vow to thee my party

  177. Lanarkist
    Ignored
    says:

    Capella, The rounded total of votes cast equals 3700000. Divide that by 800000. Comes to 4.6% of votes.

    Total registered to vote 4350000. Divided by 800000. Equals 5.3% of total registered voters.

    All numbers roughly rounded.

    Looks like 800000 is roughly the 5% that was needed to swing the vote one way or another depending on turn out.

    Strange that that is the same no. Now vanishing from electoral rolls.

    Were there ghost voters in the Ref?

    Difference between Yes and No in the last Ref. Was roughly 400000.

    Did anyone account for all of the additional 800000 ballots being used or returned unused to be destroyed?

    What of the Postal vote samples reported to have been taken South for sampling?

    I agree that it is strange how this no. Keeps appearing, synchronicity?

  178. Capella
    Ignored
    says:

    @ heedtracker
    I think the Tory Govt. decided to change the registration system because of the vast potential for fraud in the postal votes which mainly benefits Labour. Craig Murray has posted on his experience in Blackburn standing against Jack Straw. There, ethnic minority heads of household register everyone in the household, living and dead, and cast their vote for Labour.
    https://www.craigmurray.org.uk/archives/2005/05/straws_seat_is/

    But I think they delayed the change in Scotland till after the Referendum. Happy for postal vote fraud to continue?
    Pity there are no investigative journalists in this country who have the resources to dig out the facts.

  179. muttley79
    Ignored
    says:

    @McDuff

    I still contend that it would be a huge mistake for the SNP to enter into a coalition with a toxic Labour party which would eventually damage the Scottish government by association.

    It is the job of the SNP to act in ways that further the interests of Scotland, and most importantly the people of Scotland. It that means gaining significant new powers for Holyrood by way of a coalition with Labour, then surely that should be welcomed. One of the major reasons why SLAB have lost so much credibility is their knee jerk hostility to the SNP. Why would you chose to adopt their strategy in reverse?

  180. Nana Smith
    Ignored
    says:

    Thought you might like to listen to an interview with Alex Salmond

    http://wildbrigand.com/blog/2015/02/02/episode-eight-alex-salmond/

  181. Helena Brown
    Ignored
    says:

    Muttley, Nicola has confirmed that there would be no formal coalition as per Lib Dems and Conservatives. That it would be support on a vote by vote issue. Nobody after seeing the results of this coalition with all their senses in place would agree to such a thing, and come on, with Labour, they are lying toerags,

  182. jock mc X
    Ignored
    says:

    O/t About the problem of biased media and the malignant labour party.

    The archives of wings over scotland contain an absolute goldmine of info.
    There are lots of smart posters on here,i would like to know thier thoughts on the idea of rev Stu writing a book,as i believe it could be massive and could also be a massive help
    to the cause.

    The story of this site,of the referendum,of the labour party
    the bbc, and of the disunited kingdom should be of great
    interest

  183. JOHN KING
    Ignored
    says:

    Woosie says
    “get Blair rich project.”

    BRILLIANT,
    director: T Blair
    producer: T Blair
    starring: T Blair

  184. Naina Tal
    Ignored
    says:

    @heedtracker
    Ye micht weel be richt aboot them reddin up. Ah ken there’s been aw sorts o’ claims, an’ they’ve aye been rubbished as “conspiracy theories”. Weel Ah’ve said aw alang there’s no gaunnie be nae smokin gun. The establishment’s ower fly tae get caught sae easy. Some votes here an’ some votes there were how the thing wis achieved. Cowped lorries, fire alarms, switched boxes, postal vote scams, deed folks votin’ an’ the auld folks homes whaur ridd tories jist went in an’ “helped” the auls buddies fill in the forms an’ post them. Helpfu kind o souls yir rid tories! Bit the evidence is aw redd up noo. Yer nivver gaunnae prove oanythin. Bother is they’re gaunnae dae it again!

  185. Johnny
    Ignored
    says:

    Re this ‘Outlander’ thing, I confess I did not know of it and I am intrigued and would like to see it if possible. I have done some quick searches….is it the ‘Starz’ series? I couldn’t really make any obvious links with the Scottish situation from descriptions I read. Is it all in the watching? Or am I looking at the wrong ‘Outlander’? It sounds like the sort of thing that should be shared far and wide from the way people here are talking about it.

  186. John H.
    Ignored
    says:

    O/T.
    I don’t know if this has been mentioned yet, but Maryhill food bank in Glasgow was broken into last night. Money meant for an injured girl was taken. The thieves bypassed security measures by breaking in through the roof.

  187. Capella
    Ignored
    says:

    @ Robert Peffers
    I agree, it is possible to overcome the encryption on DVDs and I have a player that can play Region 1. But Amazon won’t sell them out of Region.
    As Lanarkist points out though, it does mean that only the diehard afficionados are able to watch this film. The bigger question is, how can global corporations like Sony and Amazon be prevented from distributing their films for political reasons? Whatever happened to free speech? This level of censorship is only supposed to happen in China and N Korea!
    @ Lanarkist
    Thanks for the sums.

  188. Lollysmum
    Ignored
    says:

    @ heedtracker

    The electoral register isn’t being changed in Scotland only. I’m in SE England & I got my letter today about the changes.

    After the last GE there was uproar in many places & attempts at rigging the vote so perhaps they are trying to avoid a repeat of those accusations.

  189. gillie
    Ignored
    says:

    Rumours are that Murphy and McTernan have had a big fall out with Murphy’s minions getting an earful of abuse. Complaints of bullying have even reached the ears of Ed Miliband. All is not well at the North Britain branch office.

  190. jock mc X
    Ignored
    says:

    O/t About the problem of biased media and the malignant labour party.

    The archives of wings over scotland contain an absolute goldmine of info.
    There are lots of smart posters on here,i would like to know thier thoughts on the idea of rev Stu writing a book,as i believe it could be massive and could also be a massive help
    to the cause.

    The story of this site,of the referendum,of the labour party,
    the bbc, and of this disunited kingdom should be of great
    interest to many around the world.
    If it also served as a companion to the site,even better.
    Can you imagine a best seller?……Stu

  191. Capella
    Ignored
    says:

    @ John King
    Did you mean the brilliant “LibLabCon” trailer “from the team that bought you “Iraq”?

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XliZpgDS6XU

  192. alexicon
    Ignored
    says:

    Warning! There’s a twatter (Ian Smart) loose on twitter.

    Shocking stuff!!!

    https://twitter.com/ianssmart/status/562369957707538432

  193. liz
    Ignored
    says:

    Most political folk are aware that there are a huge number of people off the register.

    In my constituency of East Ren, I have mentioned it and the local branch are going to contact those not registerd,

    I think everyone should get friends/family to double check if they are on.
    I did hear, although not sure if it’s true, that all previous postal voters are not going to be allowed a postal vote until re-registering.

    Re Outlander, our image is controlled by another country and that’s why we have the mean, dour image across the world, eg Scrooge MacDuck.

    I used to think that’s why it took years to get the BBC to release Tuttie Frutti on DVD – a BAFTA award winner.

    @ Robert Peffers – As for your workers, God help us, these people are totally ignorant

  194. ian
    Ignored
    says:

    Sorry this is a bit of topic but kind of sums up where the UK is at the moment.I was at the supermarket today and picked up the free paper the Bugle(its the English language paper in France).Flicking through the paper i came across an article comparing the uk’s economy with france’s.It seems the uk has just edged ahead, and this has been down to the fact that the uk declares earnings in the ilegal activities of prostitution and drug dealing,france does not, although under EU regulations they will have to.
    Hear we are more or less running neck and neck with a country which has the most number of holidays off work,has’nt had the advantage of over a trillion in oil revenues,has two hour lunch breaks,manages to pay decent benifits,good pensions, it also could do a lot more to develope its private sector ect,ect.Its no great surprise Britian’s called the ‘country of the working poor’.
    Brown and his like are a disgrace and it makes me sad and angry to think where our country would have been had someone had our countrys intrest’s at heart.May is the time to change things for the better and take Scotland a step closer to complete independence.

  195. jock mc X
    Ignored
    says:

    of great interest to many around the world.
    Can you imagine a best seller?…….STU?

    Sorry this bit got cut off my post.

    ps…i know he’s working hard already

  196. muttley79
    Ignored
    says:

    @Helena Brown

    Muttley, Nicola has confirmed that there would be no formal coalition as per Lib Dems and Conservatives. That it would be support on a vote by vote issue. Nobody after seeing the results of this coalition with all their senses in place would agree to such a thing, and come on, with Labour, they are lying toerags,

    This is not about Labour, it is about getting the best deal possible for the people of Scotland. We have to work with what we have got. We cannot afford to withdraw to the side-lines, when there is a real chance of getting a better deal for Scotland.

  197. AyeAlba
    Ignored
    says:

    O/T

    Got this in my email today and it’s definitely worth a look. Explains in plain language the truth about TTIP. There’s also a petition to sign if anyone feels like it.

    http://action.sumofus.org/a/ttip-video/?akid=9195.3316515.zS4Wb-&rd=1&sub=fwd&t=1

  198. Lollysmum
    Ignored
    says:

    Stu under fire on Twitter. BBC Tim Reid says 5 indy groups did not submit returns to Electoral Commission including Wings.

    Accusation supposedly comes from that commission which as we all know is a quango controlled by govt/establishment supporters. So more made up lies on behalf of SLab

  199. whiplash
    Ignored
    says:

    Ian Smart’s tweet plumbs new depths – Shocking stuff

    Great documentary about the first ever female rabbi on BBC4. Died in a concentration camp. With the SNP’s enthusiastic support. Never forget

  200. heedtracker
    Ignored
    says:

    BBC propaganda machine attack WoS now. Lovely bunch but what’s new at that giant fraud of a network. The headline is really any BBC shill even mentioning WoS at all!!!

    Tim Reid @TimReidBBC · 2h 2 hours ago
    Wings over Scotland is named as one of 5 groups registered with Elec Commission which has failed to submit #indyref spending return.

  201. Fred
    Ignored
    says:

    @ Nana, thanks for that babe, sound common sense from Alex, look forward to getting hold of his book. Due oot end of March folks.

  202. gillie
    Ignored
    says:

    Oliver Twisted:

    The evening arrived; the people took their places. Jim Murphy stationed himself on his Irn-Bru crate; his Project Fear assistants ranged themselves behind him; the political gruel was served out; and a long grace was said for the House of Commons. The political gruel disappeared; the people whispered to each other, and winked at Nicola; while her next neighbours nudged her. First Minister as she was, she was desperate with constitutional hunger, and reckless with austerity. She rose from her place; and advancing to Murphy, reforms in hand, said: somewhat alarmed at her own temerity:

    ‘Please, sir, I want some more.’

    Murphy was a tall, wealthy man; but he turned very pale. He gazed in stupified astonishment on the small rebel for some seconds, and then clung for support to the Irn Bru crate. The Project Fear assistants were paralysed with wonder; the people with fear.

    ‘What!’ said Murphy at length, in a faint voice.

    ‘Please, sir,’ replied Nicola, ‘I want some more.’

    Murphy aimed a blow at Nicola’s head with a bottle of Irn-Bru; pinioned her in his arm; and shrieked aloud for Brown.

    Ed Miliband and his shadow cabinet were standing in solemn conclave, when Mr. Brown rushed into the room in great excitement, and addressing Miliband, said,

    ‘Mr. Miliband, I beg your pardon, Nicola Sturgeon has asked for more!’

    There was a general start. Horror was depicted on every countenance.

    ‘For MORE!’ said Mr. Miliband. ‘Compose yourself, Brown, and answer me distinctly. Do I understand that she asked for more, after she had taken Devo Plus allotted by the party?’

    ‘She did, sir,’ replied Brown.

    ‘That girl will be hung,’ said Ed Balls. ‘I know that girl will be hung.’

  203. Helena Brown
    Ignored
    says:

    Muttley I doubt the the SNP are talking about withdrawing to the sidelines but no formal coalition, this would become the death embrace as it has for the Lib Dems, only a fool would agree with that. Labour are so stupid they are cutting their own throats, I am beginning to doubt that they even want to win even with a minority. Tend to think as others that they will be quite happy in opposition.

  204. Chic McGregor
    Ignored
    says:

    I’m convinced there was never any intention of a deal between Labour and the Lib Dems after the last Westminster election.

    The smirk on Ball’s face as he left their meeting said it all.

  205. Lollysmum
    Ignored
    says:

    @ gillie
    Very good but one problem-Nicola would never call JM ‘sir’ she didn’t even curtsey to Brenda so I reckon JM stands no chance of deference of any sort from Nicola.

    Are you practising thinking in a SLab mindset by any chance 🙂

  206. muttley79
    Ignored
    says:

    @Helena Brown

    The SNP should do a deal with Labour if it is good for Scotland. That is the most important thing. If a formal coalition achieved a good deal for Scotland, and the people living here, that is all that matters in my opinion. There is really nothing to be gained by knee jerk tribalism. The Lib Dems got a awful deal, I trust the SNP leadership to get us a much better one from Labour, in the event of it happening in the first place.

  207. Robert Peffers
    Ignored
    says:

    @Lanarkist says:3 February, 2015 at 10:09 am

    “Are we ever going to get to see the World wide hit filmed in Scotland about a period from our own history?

    Beware of people telling you about our Scottish history – especially the Scottish ones telling the story. The subject has been used to brainwash Scots since the history of Britain was first written down. The first recorders of our history were the Romans who obviously had a very large axe to grind. Much of what they wrote has been proven to by wrong.

    Furthermore, lots of the archaeological stuff has also been disproved. Some of it by nothing more than simple logically considering the matter. For example the story that the Scots came from Ireland is utter tosh. Let’s look at that claim and apply logic and common sense. First though, archaeological evidence has shown that artefacts from the Scottish islands has been found to predate those from the coastal areas of Ireland. That suggests the migration could be towards Ireland. However, common sense dictates a quite different picture.

    In those early times Scotland was almost exclusively under the Great Caledonian Forest and thus land travel was very hard work and almost impossible. The then superhighways were the seas, rivers and lochs. Now consider that the distance between Scotland and Ireland, (at the closest points), is only 12 mls/19 km from the Mull of Kintyre to County Antrim. Logically the tribes were one and the same peoples.

    Those kind of anomalies litter our history and those doing the recording have mainly had ulterior motives in falsification. There is a great difference between, ” Britain in Roman Times” and “Roman Britain”.

    Only three countries became a Constitutional Monarchy in 1688. There was no, “Union of the Crowns”, in 1603 as both crowns remained for independent Kingdoms but were worn by the same person. Thus, in 1688, William & Mary of Orange could not become the Scottish Monarchy as Scotland was still independent thus the Jacobite Rebellion couldn’t be a rebellion as the Scots could not rebel against a monarchy not their own. The Treaty of Union only has two signatory Kingdoms and no other kingdom has ever since joined the Union. The list of wrong teachings of British history is a long history of a string of lies.

    Here’s another. The Stone age Hunter Gatherers also had some long established large settlements like those at Howick in the North of England. This is just 25 miles from what we now call, “Doggerland”, and when the proven flooding of that Doggerland sank it under the North Sea the nearest higher Ground was Britain. Yet I’ll bet most here were taught the land bridge to the European mainland was across the English Channel? It wasn’t.

  208. Nana Smith
    Ignored
    says:

    You are welcome Fred. I am hoping he will do a book signing in Inverness.

  209. Dorothy Devine
    Ignored
    says:

    Regarding registering with the electoral commission – did the BBBC register ?
    If not , why not?

    Shouldn’t they register now for the GE ? After all only the deaf did not hear the chink of champagne bottles in the corridors of the all powerful BBBC when the Labour Party won the GE with their pal Blair.

  210. Nana Smith
    Ignored
    says:

    Just spotted this tweet which is rather worrying…

    Got a letter from a scottish labour MP welcoming 2 newly registered voters at my address but I’m the only registered voter at my address

  211. Jim McIntosh
    Ignored
    says:

    With an abundance of SNP MPs at Westminster one of the first things that should be on the devolution agenda has to be broadcasting.

    The disgrace that’s the BBC constantly talking Scotland, and the Scottish government down all the time, has to cease.

  212. Jamie Arriere
    Ignored
    says:

    OT

    Attention anyone in Glasgow. Richard Walker, editor of Sunday Herald/National is selling the Big Issue for Vendor Week in Buchanan Street tomorrow at 11am

    https://twitter.com/richardwalker5/status/562611730103402496

    If anyone wants to chew the fat & offer advice re these papers, might be a good opportunity

  213. AndyC
    Ignored
    says:

    What’s the difference between Broon mince and Murphy mince?
    None, both unfit for consumption.

  214. One_Scot
    Ignored
    says:

    They mugged us last September, let’s make sure they don’t mugged us again in May.

  215. bald eagle
    Ignored
    says:

    try this out for outlander hope its the right bloody one please work

    http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLYg6DkgTt8JC6s2FHqTZI55kJm61w7TbE

  216. Fred
    Ignored
    says:

    “Eilean I Vow”, on Loch Lomond, just the place for Broon to end his days.

    “Hermit wanted, smart but not too smart” 🙂

    http://islandivow.org/

  217. Helena Brown
    Ignored
    says:

    Robert Peffers, do not get too het up about Outlander, American Lady wrote it, she has done a bit of fiddling with it, set just before the 1745 and continues from there, a bit of history a bit of Fantasy as in time travel. Nobody will take it as Gospel but one thing it does is remind us how much we are “Better Together” hence the political interference with all things Scottish, note we get lots of English History on the box but nothing much on anyone else who share this benighted island with them. The Welsh must really struggle though I have a series of books which might please all of us, set at the start of Llewellyn’s downfall and another time travel adventure.

  218. Lanarkist
    Ignored
    says:

    Robert Peffers, I like your posts and really appreciate your contributions. That said I am not saying I wish people should have the opportunity to watch Vowlander uncritically. It would be of interest to see what other people are allowed to see portrayed as a visual litereral form of our past.

    The main point really is who is censoring these giant corporations output?

    Just recently a film was pulled from release in USA because of protests from N. Korea which prompted aonline campaign and cyber attack against the same Corporation? World wide news discussed widely. Who has the power to persuade Media Corporations, Distributors, Advertisers, Internet providers and Tourism Chiefs to desist in organising the licensing for broadcast?

    We are talking big money compensation or other deals in return.

    Only last week it was announced that 3 Million to be spent in and around Loch Ness on Nessie projects, yes we know it is a pork barrel sop to D. Alexander’s forlorn hope to retain his Constituency vote, but how much would this franchise be worth.

    I don’t remember Harry Potter being suppressed in this Country because it put Public Schools in a bad light or dealt with Magical or Satanic issues.

    Wouldn’t you like to see it so that you could, if needed, offer corrections to the historical inaccuracies at least. I mean Braveheart gets used against us as a slur all the time, historical inaccuracies included.

    Aren’t you even a wee bit curious as to this particular situation and the occupancy of what seems like a State Censorship? Not even a littl

  219. Lanarkist
    Ignored
    says:

    A little?

    They use our best known folk music, our fables, our history and twist and turn them into their own creations and deny us any form of return for our cultural input!

    Historical intellectual copyright, cultural protection, a right to reply.

    They pull a misted shroud over us and pretend we never existed pre Union, that we never contributed anything of value to the wider world, they replace the narrative with scrounger, waster, work shy, subsidy junkies and call it Union!

  220. Gods Country
    Ignored
    says:

    On Labour BBC website

    “The Commission says five groups or individuals who registered failed to complete spending returns.

    These included the Wings Over Scotland website and Labour for Independence.”

    So who were the other three – unionists perhaps!!!

  221. Lanarkist
    Ignored
    says:

    Sorry, got a bee in me bonnet today, but the American Writer, The Distributor, Global a Media Corporation. London based Production Compnay can pillage our history for raw material but we cannot even participate in the viewing of it!

    Makes my blood boil, everyone else benefits and we get jack!

    It is the Unionist deal in microcosm!

  222. bald eagle
    Ignored
    says:

    from the very talented idiot ian shmartarse

    /ianssmart.blogspot.co.uk/2014/06/arthur-donaldson-and-others.html

    if you google arthurs name look at the third or fourth one down its ian shmartarse and it was only added last year
    warning it will turn you mad the bullshit it contains

  223. Lesley-Anne
    Ignored
    says:

    Sorry for going O/T but here’s a wee piece from STV about the sickening break-in at the Maryhill foodbank. The great news is that Frankie Boyle has donated £5,000 to the food bank. Love him or hate him there is definately one thing you can NOT call him over this episode and that is being heartless.

    Well done Frankie! 😀

    http://news.stv.tv/west-central/308975-frankie-boyle-donates-5000-to-maryhill-food-bank-after-break-in/

  224. tartanarse
    Ignored
    says:

    Capella

    “Pity there are no investigative journalists in this country who have the resources to dig out the facts”

    There are resources abound. I think you meant to type this.

    Pity there are no investigative journalists in this country.

    Sorted.

  225. Ronbon
    Ignored
    says:

    Vowcher! Can’t wait to see the next great offer from labour. If it sounds too good to be true it usually is. Big Gordon is deluded and has no credibility!

  226. G4jeepers
    Ignored
    says:

    Stats Quo?

    VOW Brown deeper in Brown
    Brown, brown deeper in brown
    Bow down deeper in brown
    VOW Brown deeper in brown

  227. Helena Brown
    Ignored
    says:

    Thank you so much for telling us about Frankie Boyle, always thought he was one of the good guys.

  228. HandandShrimp
    Ignored
    says:

    Bald Eagle

    It is hard to get mad at Ian. I think he trolls when he has had a few sherbets and goes so far over the top as to come back round the other side. Comedy gold rather than agent provocateur

  229. Chic McGregor
    Ignored
    says:

    @Capella

    I posted the Diane Gabaldon link a couple of weeks ago but added a spoiler warning so folk could choose whether to watch after the comment.

  230. Fireproofjim
    Ignored
    says:

    @ Jim Mcintosh
    You are absolutely right. Devolution of broadcasting to Scotland should be a “red line” issue for negotiating any agreements in a hung Parliameny. Right up there with welfare and Trident.

  231. thedogphilosopher
    Ignored
    says:

    V for Vow Pretender: “England Prevails”.

    Apocalypse Vow: “Terminate The Accounting Unit. With extreme prejudice!”

  232. North chiel
    Ignored
    says:

    Party political broadcast for the Branch office leader on EBC news 24
    At 1645 hrs. Murphy given “free reign” to attack the Scottish gov.
    On NHS waiting times etc (with no reply from Scotgov allowed.
    Obviously a forerunner to the “Jackie and Eleanor show” tonight .
    Dispicable bias!

  233. crazycat
    Ignored
    says:

    @ Nana Smith (3.05)

    I don’t like the sound of that, either, but

    a) if polling cards arrive for non-existent people, this will reveal that something is amiss (obviously if the scam is implemented in places where the real inhabitants are in on it, it will not be reported, but I hope there are plenty of Labour voters who would still be perturbed)

    b) if a proxy has been applied for, both the proxy voter and the person they are standing in for will be notified

    c) if a postal vote has been applied for, it will usually be sent to the registered address – it is possible to request a postal ballot to be sent to another address if a valid reason is provided, and this would be the most worrying aspect.

  234. David
    Ignored
    says:

    @ Robert Kerr, thanks, and the film is ‘Midnight Vowboy’ starring DustedDown Broonman as ‘Ratso’ and Jim Murvoight as ‘Joe Two Crates’.

    It’s pure fiction of course, much like yesterday’s Vow 2: Vow Harder.

    Next up for a remake is The B-Team, with Captain Hannibal Broon ‘I love it when a Vow comes together’. I wonder who could play Howling Mad Murdock…

  235. Jim McIntosh
    Ignored
    says:

    Regarding Outlander – I looked up Starz press release from 2013 and emailed the contact on the page for Starz and Sony Pictures.

    “Hi

    I’ve heard great things from friends in the USA about this series. I live in the UK and was wondering if and when Outlander will be shown over here. Is there a reason why it hasn’t been picked up already.
    Regards
    Jim McIntosh

    Nothing back from Starz, but response from Sony Pictures contact (Pxxx_Axxxx@spe.sony.com)

    “I believe you will hear news about this shortly.”

    So you never know.

  236. Jim McIntosh
    Ignored
    says:

    Another response from Sony Pictures contact to my query –

    Waiting in anticipation, shortly as in weeks, months?”

    Sony Response:

    I would guess weeks

  237. Dave McEwan Hill
    Ignored
    says:

    Interesting poll in today’s Sun by the publicly funded Scottish Referendum Study of 5000 voters which points out that virtually nobody changed their minds because of the Vow.
    This is exactly what I believed.
    My opinion is that the Vow was used as a diversion to explain away a result that doesn’t stack up.

    On the months running up to the vote on the 18th of September Scotland experienced the most exhaustive and wide ranging canvass it had ever experienced. This was recorded nationwide on an advanced detailing system and all areas,all social strata, all age groups and including those who had used postal votes.
    This produced a result diametrically opposed to the result that was announced on the 19th September.
    Naivety is a seriously debilitating political flaw. I hope we have wakened up

  238. K1
    Ignored
    says:

    Nice to ‘see’ you Stoker, hope you’re doing okay 🙂

    Thanks for the link, I’ll be there!

  239. KATIE
    Ignored
    says:

    In the early 80’s, my grandfather taught Gordon Brown how to canvas, back in the days when Labour stood up for normal working people. Now the red tories stand for absolutely nothing and all that matters is the MPs lining their own pockets and keeping themselves in cushy jobs with an unrealistic expense package and worst of all Gordon Brown is merely a puppet that they bring out to the Scottish public when Westmonster are bricking it. Im sorry to say that my grandad would be spinning in his grave if he knew what was going on!!

  240. MJC
    Ignored
    says:

    “The revolution WILL NOT be televised!”

  241. McBoxheid
    Ignored
    says:

    Googling for the “vow plus gordon brown” gave me this
    http://www.thelyonyawns.com/?cat=14
    I had a wee chuckle

  242. Graeme Doig
    Ignored
    says:

    Dave McEwan Hill

    ‘My opinion is that the Vow was used as a diversion to explain away a result that doesn’t stack up.’

    I’m with you on that my friend.

    I don’t think the postal votes were fiddled however. My feeling is that computer counting was calibrated to reflect their desired outcome. Would that not have been possible?

    Happy for my theory to be ripped apart. Like i say, just a feeling i’ve had.

  243. Rock
    Ignored
    says:

    Dave McEwan Hill,

    “which points out that virtually nobody changed their minds because of the Vow.”

    This is exactly what I believed.”

    That is what I have been saying as well.

    Neither were the 70% pensioners scared into voting No. They are British nationalists who were determined to vote No, as were the middle class. Both these classes are heavily made up of English residents.

    Either the result was rigged (almost certainly in my opinion).

    Or some of the working classes were scared to death by the likes of Asda (much less likely because these people are tough Scots).

  244. Wuffing Dug
    Ignored
    says:

    Dr Ew
    Brilliant 🙂
    A vow to a shill pmsl
    Starring rudger hoor

  245. Tommy Taylor
    Ignored
    says:

    If rats always leave the sinking ship, seems to me that in the coming weeks our ‘Opinion Makers’ will, without an ounce of integrity, conscience or guilt, think about climbing from the hole they have dug for themselves, as the butter will shortly be on the other side of the bread. i.e. we might see a slight modulation.

  246. Hoss Mackintosh
    Ignored
    says:

    @jock Mc X

    G.A.Ponsonby has the BBC Bias covered- see…

    http://ponsonbypost.com

    He has been pretty quiet recently as he is writing his book – it will take some time as he has a lot of material to work through.

    Looking forward to its publication – hopefully sometime in April – just before GE. I will definately be buying it as it will be be a classic.

    Prof Robertson is also doing a rolling regular Bias update on Newsnet.scot which is also very good.

    Someone has also mentioned on Wings that SNP have engaged international observers to survey the BBC over the election campaign. Not sure if it is true (Source would be good !?) but would be good if they have – the BBC are a complete disgrace.

  247. Graeme Doig
    Ignored
    says:

    Further to my comment at 7.39pm

    I note that FOI requests were made to CEC and Electoral commission regarding spread sheets used at the counts (by the same person)
    Both parties recommending getting in touch with the other.

    Anyway, interesting but pointless.

  248. Shagpile
    Ignored
    says:

    A Clunking Fist Full Of Vows.

    Sequel…. A Few Vows More. 😉

  249. Apache
    Ignored
    says:

    As usual, an excellent analysis and inarguable conclusion Stu.

    ”Whatever Labour are offering now, it stands to reason that they’d also be willing to concede the same, at a minimum, in return for SNP backing at Westminster, if they needed it.”

    Unfortunately, after The Referendum, we can never again underestimate the gullibility that exists within The Scottish electorate. We’ve had leaflets refused and been accused of ”helping The SNP destroy Scotland, by letting The Tories in.”

    Honestly, there should be some sort of testing to ensure people have a basic understanding of what’s going on before they’re given a ballot paper.

  250. Almannysbunnet
    Ignored
    says:

    BRAYFART. “Your vow is free have the courage to use it” Starring Gordie Broon as Willie Wallace. The story of one man’s failed attempt to save Scotland……..for England. Broon brays and farts his way through this historical epic but is ultimately destined to fail.

  251. Kennedy
    Ignored
    says:

    I can not believe that Labour would try a second “Vow” so soon after the recent Indyref Vow/lie and expect us to fall for it. they are shameless liars.



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